Jesus

"What are you looking forward to when God brings about the 'Great and Glorious Day of the LORD'?"


You don't encounter many questions in the context of Biblical study that have one right right answer, but I can't think of any answer we as believers should consider before Jesus himself.  Our heart's first response to this question reveals much about who we are and how we relate with God, and if our first thought is not Jesus we're missing the point.


God cut to my heart with this question last night when Dan asked it in Bible study.  My answer had something to do with the new earth and how beautiful it would be, and how our glorified bodies would be really cool.  Which is not bad - God has granted those and it's good to look forward to those because they're a gift from God.  But I was convicted deeply as God made it so clear in my heart that Jesus' answer is undoubtedly and whole heartedly me.  


God also showed me how a lack of this vision of Jesus as the one who is our eternal prize is like death to us as followers, because He is the only thing that matters.  Nothing else is as glorious, as fulfilling, as powerfully redemptive, nor magnificently valuable as Jesus, the man and living God.  Nothing!  And to forget this glorious Jesus, whom we love is to lose our purpose for even breathing.  Everything God ever did in relation to us was for the purpose of being near us - his beloved creation.  God has glory.  He was never interested in making sure everyone knew He was the most glorious, as if He was insecure about His glory.  No.  Acts 17 states that God is the one who made the Earth and everything in it, and nothing we can give him even compares, but "God did this so that men would seek him and  perhaps reach out for him and find him."  That's the whole point of why God made us and redeemed us, because He loves us and wants to be near us.  That's why our works are like filthy rags to Him - He wants us.  So it is fitting that to even come close to being able to please Him is to want Him back - to return the love He has for us.  And this is why living our lives for serving Him will leave us sorely disillusioned like Martha was.  We weren't made for the purpose of serving Him - that's an excellent and necessary result of our purpose by the way -  we were made to be loved by Him, and to be near Him.  


And my lack of luster recently is so clear now - I've lost my vision. My passion for Jesus has grown tranquil, and I've been racking my heart and my head over small things, losing sight of the one who will make all things right, and who satisfies all my heart's insecurities.  Many Christians, even myself, dream of serving God, making an impact in the Kingdom, and doing mission work abroad.  But that isn't the dream at all - it's not even close.  God  is teaching me now that He is the dream, and He is the point.  Missions is necessary, and spreading the gospel is our work here on earth, but it isn't our purpose for living.  Intimacy and relationship with God is our purpose, that's why God ever created us in the first place.  So many believers do and do and do so much - good stuff by the way - and at the end of the day, they find that as good as it is, there is so much more that they're missing out on.  What they (and myself) still lack is a fulfillment of our created need for intimacy with God and without the right fulfilling of that need, we're still left longing and un-satisfied.


So my prayer request this week is simple (especially as I've really been thirsty and dry for God's nearness).  Pray that Jesus would be the sole object of my focus for now and forever, and that every good thing that I do flow out as a result, a side effect of my pursuit of Jesus.  Pray that every time I think of eternity, Jesus and His presence will be my first and most cherished thought.  And pray that I think of Him often.  


God Bless and I love you all,
Brad